“That one can convince one’s opponents with printed reasons, I have not believed since the year 1764. It is not for that purpose that I have taken up my pen, but rather merely to annoy them, and to give strength and courage to those on our side, and to make it known to the others that they have not convinced us.”
G.C. Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799), courtesy of 'Deogolwulf'

Wednesday, 14 June 2017

The Klingons are Klinging on!

As an example of 'stating the bleedin' obvious', how about this: politicians are deeply peculiar people. Well, of course, we all know that but the fact is that as the months and years pass by with the politicians droning away on our TVs and radios and in the newspapers, we tend to forget their peculiarities because after a while it just comes across as 'the same-old-same-old'. It takes something out of the ordinary to suddenly jolt us back into wondering just exactly what sort of people they are?

Take Mrs. May for example. Until last week she was just another bog-standard Tory MP with no discernible personality but then, a month ago, she did something totally out of character - she took a gamble. I don't blame her, the runes, so to speak, were all seemingly set fair but the deeply unpleasant fact was that in effect she lost. So far so normal for political fortunes but what I find deeply peculiar is her re-action to it. I think most ordinary people would be shrivelled in embarrassment and would take the first opportunity to apologise and depart. But that, of course, is not the political way!

I can see and understand that it is sensible for her to remain for a short period to allow time for her party to choose a new leader at which point she could, in the famous words of the old and deeply missed 'Screws of the World', 'make her excuses and leave'. But I sense that is not in her mind at all. I suspect that she thinks she can soldier on for the next five years. Another big mistake!

Even so, I can't help wondering at the sheer, colossal size of the egotism that drives her and most of her fellow politicians. She has driven this country into a highly dangerous situation. Not only has she allowed Corbyn, perhaps for the first time in his life, to be taken seriously but she has actually made the impossible possible by allowing him a chance to become prime minister of Britain. In addition she has inflicted a grievous wound on our country by throwing the entire Brexit plan into confusion and weakness, to the point where we needs must rely on the stupidity and arrogance of the Brussels 'commissars' to once again convince our people that we absolutely must get out.

Sooner or later, perhaps, a brave Tory MP will repeat to her the words of the late Leo Amery as delivered to Neville Chamberlain in 1940:

This is what Cromwell said to the Long Parliament when he thought it was no longer fit to conduct the affairs of the nation: "You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go."

Go back to the vicarage, Mrs. May, you have done your worst and you are no longer needed!

ADDITIONAL: This is a 'Must Read' written by Joey Jones, a political journalist who used to work for Sky News and who always quietly impressed me. In fact, I was amazed and disappointed when Sky failed to promote him to take over from Adam Boulton as chief political correspondent. Anyway, he joined Mrs. May's team shortly before she entered No. 10 as Prime Minister and it was at that point he came across her two puppet masters, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill. He has written about the experience for PoliticsHome and I urge you all to read it.

Trump and the Liberal Hate-fest
The liberal loathing of the president has entered the realm of lethal fantasies:

"As Obamacare continues its collapse and terrorist attacks around the world are an almost daily event, New York’s elite remain rabidly enraged at Mr. Trump. Ironically, he’s the only person so new to the political scene to not have had a hand in any of the governmental schemes currently ruining people’s lives.

Yet, it’s Mr. Trump who apparently should be murdered because, you know, after 144 days he’s a tyrant — or something. According to Rasmussen, consumer confidence is the second-highest it’s been in the index’s history. The market cap of the U.S. stock market has risen more than $3 trillion since Mr. Trump was elected. Small-business confidence has surged to a 12-year high. In May, the unemployment rate hit a 16-year low.

Yeah, for New York limousine liberals that amounts to a tyranny, especially because their political bread-and-butter relies on victimhood. Mr. Trump is threatening the only thing the Democrats have left — suffering.

What’s a panicked gang to do? Much is being made of the New York Public Theater’s play featuring the murder of Mr. Trump. Sure, it’s titled “Julius Caesar,” but we know that’s an inside joke. For those not living in the pretend-world of liberals, the people in charge of the New York Public Theater are using Shakespeare simply as cover for their horrific fantasy, as it’s rather likely their “creative” process first involved wanting to kill the president, then they went scrounging around to find the fitting Shakespeare.

How clever they are, as they no doubt assure themselves.

Drowning in smug, the theater released a statement which, in part read: “Our production of Julius Caesar in no way advocates violence toward anyone. Shakespeare’s play, and our production, make the opposite point: Those who attempt to defend democracy by undemocratic means pay a terrible price and destroy the very thing they are fighting to save.”
How kind of them. Americans appalled at the presentation of the murder of our sitting president are reprimanded by our artistic betters for not understanding Shakespeare, and the message of “Julius Caesar.”

Newsflash for artistes: Context matters. Shakespeare’s intent was based on an historical personage for a reason. When you murder a living president, who is loathed by the very people making the presentation, you lose the right to point back at the original playwright who knew the difference between a historical lesson and contemporary provocation.

This is dangerous for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the inuring of the public to the idea of violence being committed against the president. After the London Bridge terrorist attack, we were told by various media that Londoners were “getting used to” terrorism."

Václav Klaus: “The time has come to start preparing the exit of our country from the European Union”

Václav Klaus is a former president of the Czech Republic and a well-known opponent of political correctness and Islamization. In the following brief statement he expresses his outrage at the attempt by the European Union to impose migrant quotas on Czechia through sanctions and other coercive means. He sees this tyrannical action by Brussels as an indicator that the Czechs must withdraw from the European Union."

If Blighty joins the Norgie's in the EEA, it will be the natural destination for any or all of the Visegrad four. That would make a trading block both linked to the single market and independent under our stewardship (if we do the right thing with the others in the EEA).

I would have voted Brexit if I thought that was going to happen. I don't mind eating every word I've said on the subject if we join the EEA - it was my favoured outcome, but one I never believed the Brit peeps would vote for, or our electoral system be able to deliver.

(1) We only get 60% of EU law coming our way, only the bits that relate to the single market.

(2) We can put some restrictions on immigration.

(3) We can puts restrictions on benefits.

That should keep the country-bumpkins and neo-fascists happy enough.

(4) We stay in the single market with all the economic benefits

And that will keep the Remainers happy.

(5) We get to put pressure on the EU to keep them honest, otherwise the Visegrads will all leave the EU and join the EEA.

That'll keep us all happy.

It's something of a traditional British compromise, and can bring our flanks in and rally us around a solid centre.

SoD, I understand. From where I am, only a larger political picture is what I see. The irony being the Visegrad 4 still has the memory of Soviet communism and occupation firmly in mind. It seems the evil of communism served as a protection from the post war Leftism that has been eating away at the free West. Now free, the 4 are bewildered at the wasting disease of Leftism and its symptoms...political correctness, which is straight out of the Communist Party, multiculturalism, and hyper egalitarianism.

So Trump inciting violence at his rallies is just fine? How about his associations with Anti-Immigrant, Anti-LGBT, Anti-Muslim, Anti-government, Racial Separatist, Christian Identity, Holocaust Denial, Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Confederate, Neo-Nazi, and White Nationalist groups? The right is lily white and as pure as driven snow? Rather selective outlooks, even for trolls.

Trump's associations with those types go back to his real estate days in NYC and continue, mostly through Steve Bannon and his contacts. Is it dissonant to recognize there are extremists in all types of politics?

Well how about you Bob providing us with actual conclusive evidence (characterizations provided by recognized authorities) [NOT from "unnamed sources" or, "Sources familiar with but ... not wishing to speak on the record" etc]

Of exactly how the nature of President Trump's "associations with" can be characterized? Long-term-wise speaking.

Perhaps a PD mugshot of Trump post frogmarch still clad in his KKK getup just after his being arrested at a cross-burning wherein some poor unfortunate (insert victim-class) got lynched. That sorta evidence Bob.

Authoritarian followers know that any news about the Dear Leader that isn't good is fake. However, you can start by reading about his NYC company's red-lining practices and foreign and underworld associates.

Here's a piece on one of his advisors, Sebastian Gorka, who has "ties to Hungarian far-right groups — including one, Vitezi Rend, whose members “‘are presumed to be inadmissible’ to the country under the Immigration and Nationality Act":

' And we can understand, too, why all of Europe is quietly sniggering at the sorry spectacle of the worn-out old British lion: this week, Emmanuel Macron even allowed himself the luxury of reminding Theresa May, during her visit to Paris, that “the door will stay open, as long as the negotiations are not over”. '

Left-right AND Libertarian-Authoritarian, perpendicular to each other. That gives four combinations plus the middle, for a total of 5.

All the former Ostblokkers have done in mentality and culture is shift from the bottom left (left authoritarian) to bottom right (right authoritarian). It's only their membership of the EU that prevents them from adding economics to their authoritarianism, and renationalizing, or submitting to cloaked nationalization as Putin has done with his oligarchy. Free of the EU single market rules and regs, ECJ, ECHR, the Ostblokkers would become rightwing authoritarian, near indistinguishable from left-wing authoritarian, in the bottom pointy corner of Nolan where the two meet.

So that's another reason why Blighty needs to land firmly in the EEA: To grab the V4 if they leave and steer them to Blighty's EEA, a country-bumpkin neo-fascist tinged single market, as an alternative to them going the whole hog to Putinesque rightwing oligarchy.

While left and right are busy tearing each other apart, you'll notice that nothing much is "getting done", as pols refer to their cranky schemes, projects and plans for everyone.

Lady Liberty caught an accidental ray of sunlight!

While lefties are frantically trying to stop the swamp from draining their slurry, and Trump is frantically trying to pump his in, neither of them are spraying it all over us!

"Bait and bleed" has another Liberty preserving success story for the ordinary Liberty loving folks in the West.

Or in Nolan terms, when left and right are fighting, like two bullies in the school yard fighting over who will have the bullying rights, the children let go the balloon, which floats gently up to the top corner of Nolan.

The distortions are real indeed, but I'd argue that they create the dissonance which is the difference between the reality and the fact free movie Bob plays in his head. He cannot see it and probably never will as he seems pretty far out there.

SoD, that Nolan Chart is interesting, especially where he managed to draw the dividing lines and the examples within each sector. Some would not draw so many straight lines, but more likely some curvy lines. I see why the 4 need to land in your EEA.

JK, As I wrote, there are extremists and kooks with all kinds of political outlooks. One example is the nut that shot up the Republican baseball practice. How different is he from the nut that shot Gabby Giffords? The City Journal piece is another opinion from a member of the conservative Manhattan Institute.

Rejoicing is normally a good thing unless it is the German version -- Schadenfreude. If you are happy then I am pleased for you.

I find it difficult to discern your meaning when you launch into a complicated string of assertions/opinions/facts couched in British slang terms that I am not familiar with. But I trust that you mean well.

This whole thread seems to have devolved into a cacophony of mudslinging that is giving me a migraine.

You'll probably have noted Bob that, the "opinion piece" included an observation that Angela Davis had indeed purchased two of the guns which were later used to murder a sitting Judge?

"Officers had told newsmen two of the guns used in the incident were registered in Miss Davis's name and said a third gun might have been purchased by her on July 25 from a Los Angeles surplus store. ... Miss Davis had been seen several times recently in the company of young Jackson who, witnesses said, carried the weapons into the courtroom."

But Bob, just because something appears in the NYT doesn't, I'd freely stipulate, therefore mean its true.

However. The opinion piece goes on to note what Miss Davis reputedly said during the Women's March on Washington just after the election of President Trump. Listen to her own uttered words Bob then, tell me your honest assessment of whether, those words can be taken as "inciting."

Containing some facts doesn't make it other than an opinion piece. To repeat, "there are extremists and kooks with all kinds of political outlooks." In my scheme of things they're extremists and kooks first and foremost.

Have you ever seen a president, or ever expected one to act like this?:

Meaning "ground for belief" is from late 14c.; that of "obviousness" is from 1660s and tacks closely to the sense of evident. Legal senses are from c. 1500, when it began to oust witness. Also "one who furnishes testimony, witness" (1590s); hence turn (State's) evidence.

***

Clear enough Bob?

In other words, something you'd feel wouldn't elicit from a practitioner of the law during a Court proceeding the objection, Hearsay your Honor!